The present invention relates to a technique for providing supply voltages to a supply terminal of an operational amplifier.
In certain applications the voltage levels to which an operational amplifier is required to drive signals is variable. Thus, for example, the operational amplifier may at times be required to drive output signals to a voltage level of 15 volts, whilst at other times it may only be necessary to drive output signals to a voltage level of 5 volts. However in order to cover the full range of possible output voltage levels, the operational amplifier is required to be provided with the voltage supply corresponding to the highest voltage level, namely in this example 15 volts.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved technique for providing a supply voltage to a supply terminal of an operational amplifier.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a circuitry for providing a supply voltage to an operational amplifier, comprising:
a switch having a plurality of inputs connected to a respective plurality of supply voltages, and an output connected to a supply voltage terminal of the operational amplifier, wherein the input of the switch is selected in dependence on the voltage level to which a signal is to be amplified. Thus, advantageously the operational amplifier is only provided with a supply voltage level corresponding to the highest voltage level to which it requires to drive a signal, thereby saving power consumption when only low voltage levels are needed.
A digital to analogue converter may receive digitised values, and generate a corresponding analogue signal for amplification by the operational amplifier. The input of the switch may be selected in dependence on the digitised values. The input of the switch may be selected in dependence on either the peak digitised value of the digitised values or the average digitised value of the digitised values.
The input of the switch may be selected by a control signal generated in dependence on the digitised values. The digitised values may be stored in the digital to analogue converter.
Preferably the switch has a first and a second input connected to a respective first and second supply voltages, a first supply voltage being lower than the second supply voltage, wherein the input of the switch is selected to be the second input if the voltage level to which the signal is to be amplified exceeds a predetermined level.
The circuitry for providing the supply voltage to the operational amplifier may further comprise:
a further switch having a plurality of inputs connected to a respective plurality of further supply voltages, and an output connected to a further supply voltage terminal of the operational amplifier, wherein the input of the further switch is selected in dependence on the voltage level to which the signal is to amplified.
In a further aspect the present invention provides a method of providing a supply voltage to an operational amplifier, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of supply voltages; selecting one of the supply voltages in dependence on the voltage level to which a signal is to be amplified; and connecting the selected one of the plurality of supply voltages to a supply voltage terminal of the operational amplifier,
The method may further comprise the step of converting digitised values into an analogue signal for amplification by the operational amplifier. The step of selecting one of the supply voltages may be dependent upon the digitised values. The step of selecting one of the supply voltages may be dependent upon either the peak digitised value of the digitised values, or the average digitised value of the digitised values.
The step of selecting one of the supply voltages may include generating a control signal in dependence of the digitised values.
Preferably there is provided a first and second supply voltage, the first supply voltage being lower that the second supply voltage, wherein the second supply voltage is selected if the voltage level to which the signal is to amplified exceeds a predetermined level.
The method of providing the supply voltage to the operational amplifier may further comprise the steps of:
providing a plurality of further supply voltages; selecting one of the further supply voltages in dependence on the voltage level to which a signal is to be amplified; and connecting the selected one of the plurality of further supply voltages to a further supply voltage terminal of the operational amplifier.
The circuitry for providing the supply voltage to the operational amplifier, or the method for providing a supply voltage to the operational amplifier, may be associated with an xDSL modem. A DSL is a digital subscriber line. The term xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d in front of DSL implies that the invention is relevant to any type of digital subscriber line technology. For example, the invention is relevant to ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) technology, the VDSL (very-high-data-rate digital subscriber line) technology, HDSL (high bit rate digital subscriber line) technology etc.